Wireless communications modules and radio frequency equipment provider Universal Microelectronics Co (環隆科技) expects revenue to grow 10 percent to 20 percent next year, driven mainly by millimeter-wave (mmWave) car radar orders from South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co, company chairman Paul Ou (歐仁傑) said yesterday.
The company’s mmWave car radar is used in digital video recorders that support Tesla Inc’s vehicle security system.
The product’s low-energy consumption has received positive feedback from Hyundai in the US and South Korean markets, Ou said.
Photo: Screengrab from Universal Microelectronics Co’s Web site
Hyundai is evaluating whether to make the mmWave car radar a standard feature in its vehicles, and Universal Microelectronics expects such a decision to propel its shipments and revenue, he said.
The company mainly produces magnetic products, such as telecommunications and power transformers, as well as power products, including direct-current (DC)-to-DC converters and alternating-current open-frame power supplies. It also manufactures IC products such as marine electronics and automotive radars, the company’s Web site says.
The company expects next year’s growth momentum to come from its power business, such as power switches, driven by major North American cloud service providers, Ou said.
Rapid artificial intelligence (AI) development has driven demand for power switches, and the company is developing a 4-kilowatt-hour (kWh) architecture, with 5kWh products expected to be developed next year, he said.
The company plans to release high-voltage DC products next year and expects such products to contribute to its revenue from 2027, he added.
Universal Microelectronics posted revenue of NT$902.49 million (US$28.63 million) for the third quarter, up 21 percent year-on-year, with power equipment and IC products each accounting for 45 percent, followed by magnetic products at 9 percent and other products at 1 percent.
Automotive radar accounted for 10 to 12 percent of revenue, with its share expected to increase next year, driven by orders from Hyundai, Ou said.
Mexico’s planned tariff hikes would not affect Universal Microelectronics, as the company ships radar components to system integrators in Vietnam, which then export complete systems to automakers, Ou said.
The company said its third-quarter net profit stood at NT$88.45 million, or earnings per share of NT$0.69, improving from a net loss of NT$52.68 million in the same period last year, or losses per share of NT$0.41. Gross margin increased to 15 percent from 10 percent over the same period.
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